§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Prime Minister if he will list those Ministers who in order to avoid potential conflicts of interest have assigned to other Ministers responsibility for part of their portfolios, and list the areas of each Minister's responsibility which have been so assigned. [28723]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 10 February 1998]: This information is not held centrally. In accordance with the Ministerial Code, where it is proper for a Minister to retain a private interest, it is the rule that he or she should disclose that interest to Ministerial colleagues if they have to discuss public business in any way affecting it, and that the Minister should remain entirely detached from the consideration of that business. Observing this rule is an individual responsibility of each Minister.